Sequel: The Lunacy Fringe: Part Two ›
The Lunacy Fringe
Sixteen
The next morning, I woke up to bright light behind my eyelids. For a moment, I was confused. The sun rose on the opposite side of my house, and I usually closed the curtains at night. But then I remembered that I wasn’t in Detroit and hadn’t even put the curtains up in my new room yet. But my window also faced west.
I threw the blankets off and sat up in confusion. I wasn’t even at home. I was at Quinn’s house on a cot in Jade’s room. But she wasn’t in her tiny little bed, so Crystal or Steve must have got her up already. I stood up and rubbed my aching forehead. I left the room and tapped on the door across the hall. I could hear Quinn snoring from inside, so I gave up and went downstairs to find Steve and Jade on the couch watching TV.
“How are you feeling?” Steve asked when I tiptoed into the living room.
“Perfectly fine,” I lied, flopping down in the chair and hugging a pillow to myself. “Where’s uh—Crystal?”
“You know you can call her ‘Mom.’”
“I know. It’s just hard. Since I’ve spent my entire life without using that word.”
“I know what you mean, but you’re lucky. You see, you’ve spent your life up to this point without a mom. Now you get to spend the rest of it with her. That’s a pretty great thing.”
“Yeah—I guess you’re right. It just—feels awkward.”
“You’ll get used to it eventually. And she’s at work, by the way.”
“On a Sunday?”
“Inventory.”
“Oh, I see.”
“I’m planning on meeting her for lunch in a few minutes. I’ll be taking Jade to her grandma’s. You’re welcome to come along.”
“I’ll just stay here with Quinn if that’s okay.”
“Yeah, of course. Make yourself at home.”
They said goodbye a few minutes later and left me in the house by myself. Well, except for Quinn. But I was tired of him being lazy, so I got up to go bug him. He hadn’t locked the bedroom door, so I let myself in and fought my way through his mess to get to his bed. He was lying sprawled half off the mattress with his mouth wide open and his arms hanging off the side. So I poked him on the face to wake him.
“Leave me alone,” he grumbled.
“Good morning, Sunshine. How are you feeling?”
“Not as good as you, obviously.”
“What do you want to do today? I thought we could do something fun.”
“That sounds fan-fucking-tastic. If it wasn’t so early in the goddamn morning.”
“Quinn—it’s twelve-fifteen.”
“If it wasn’t so early in the goddamn afternoon.”
“Aw, does someone have a hangover?”
“No, I just have a monster headache, and I’m tired.”
“Do you want some aspirin? Some coffee, maybe?”
“No, just sleep.”
“Noo! Don’t go back to sleep!”
“Ugh….” He let out an exceptionally long groan before rolling back over.
“Fine. I’ll get up.”
“That’s what I thought.”
I threw the blankets off and sat up in confusion. I wasn’t even at home. I was at Quinn’s house on a cot in Jade’s room. But she wasn’t in her tiny little bed, so Crystal or Steve must have got her up already. I stood up and rubbed my aching forehead. I left the room and tapped on the door across the hall. I could hear Quinn snoring from inside, so I gave up and went downstairs to find Steve and Jade on the couch watching TV.
“How are you feeling?” Steve asked when I tiptoed into the living room.
“Perfectly fine,” I lied, flopping down in the chair and hugging a pillow to myself. “Where’s uh—Crystal?”
“You know you can call her ‘Mom.’”
“I know. It’s just hard. Since I’ve spent my entire life without using that word.”
“I know what you mean, but you’re lucky. You see, you’ve spent your life up to this point without a mom. Now you get to spend the rest of it with her. That’s a pretty great thing.”
“Yeah—I guess you’re right. It just—feels awkward.”
“You’ll get used to it eventually. And she’s at work, by the way.”
“On a Sunday?”
“Inventory.”
“Oh, I see.”
“I’m planning on meeting her for lunch in a few minutes. I’ll be taking Jade to her grandma’s. You’re welcome to come along.”
“I’ll just stay here with Quinn if that’s okay.”
“Yeah, of course. Make yourself at home.”
They said goodbye a few minutes later and left me in the house by myself. Well, except for Quinn. But I was tired of him being lazy, so I got up to go bug him. He hadn’t locked the bedroom door, so I let myself in and fought my way through his mess to get to his bed. He was lying sprawled half off the mattress with his mouth wide open and his arms hanging off the side. So I poked him on the face to wake him.
“Leave me alone,” he grumbled.
“Good morning, Sunshine. How are you feeling?”
“Not as good as you, obviously.”
“What do you want to do today? I thought we could do something fun.”
“That sounds fan-fucking-tastic. If it wasn’t so early in the goddamn morning.”
“Quinn—it’s twelve-fifteen.”
“If it wasn’t so early in the goddamn afternoon.”
“Aw, does someone have a hangover?”
“No, I just have a monster headache, and I’m tired.”
“Do you want some aspirin? Some coffee, maybe?”
“No, just sleep.”
“Noo! Don’t go back to sleep!”
“Ugh….” He let out an exceptionally long groan before rolling back over.
“Fine. I’ll get up.”
“That’s what I thought.”